I looked for a long time to find the perfect condo. Adeline Place was the perfect blend of totally…read moreaffordable, eco-friendly brand new spaces, in the heart of a bustling neighborhood (with everything, including 2 Starbucks, Target, a community garden across the street, a nail spa, a solid big grocery store, farmer's market, a few cool bars...). The units are all gorgeous, high ceilings, sunny. Modern kitchens, fancy hotel bathrooms. In my 1 bedroom, there is amazing closet space---it's a walk-in!---especially big compared with a lot of the other local condos. Each unit even comes with free indoor parking and a free storage space in a side garage! The board and HOA management is totally on top of issues like garbage and creating new bike racks. There's a huge, warm community vibe there---really friendly, diverse set of professional 30-somethings and beyond (we often have socials on the community deck!). Great location: 30 seconds from garage door to I-80. 10min walk to MacArthur BART (or 3 min if you take the free shuttle!). Bikeable to downtown Oakland in 8min (or 5 if you cab it---for $7!)---the best part for having friends over is that there is UNLIMITED, FREE street parking right across the street (and for a short visit, or before 6pm, there is FREE 2 hr parking just outside the door)!

"Modern Living in the heart of the Bay Area" is the lead-line on Adeline-Emeryville's brochure…read more Starting with prices in the low $200,000s it was intriguing enough to be worth a look. The units are the smallest of any new construction I've viewed in the area. Closet space is minimal or, in the case of the 2-bedroom units, non-existent. That is, as the sales person explained, the developer decided to go "Euro-style" with the 2-bedroom units and not include any closet space. To compensate, the developer gives buyers a $1200 credit to buy stand-alone closet systems at Ikea (a commitment to to mediocrity, at best), which they will install for you. Of course, these systems will chew up more of the limited floor space in the tiny bedrooms, and the buyer will still have limited closet space. There is not even a coat closet in the entry way to accommodate home owners or guests as they enter the units. The one-bedroom units have sliding glass doors in a closet that is shared with the washer-dryer stack. Just what I want, to have the laundry in my bedroom. Do a load of whites with bleach and you'll have the lovely aroma of chlorine to lull you to sleep. When I commented on the lack of space, the sales person told me that "most of their buyers were young professionals who spend very little time at home". Well, obviously, because an average home-body would go stir crazy in this place in short order. Why would anyone pay $250-300,000 to buy a home that they wouldn't spend a lot of time in? Bathrooms are large in relation to the overall size of the units, but not particularly well-appointed with basic white tile and no-frills fixtures. Also, unlike most condos, the builder does not include the refrigerator and washer/dryer in the purchase price of the units, although I was told they can be included as part of the deal at the buyer's request. Parking is in a small garage with the bulk of the parking using a 3-tiered lift system that is electrically powered. The sales person was evasive when asked about the prospect of mechanical failures with the lift stating that the service company was only fifteen minutes away. I could foresee major difficulties not being able to get one's car out when problems with the lift system occur, which seems to be an inevitability. The building is situated in an odd-corner near the freeway and right off San Pablo avenue, parking around the building is limited to 2-hours, and heavy street noise filters up to all the units. The double-paned windows to shut the noise out, but unless you want to live with the windows closed, you'd better enjoy the sounds of urban traffic. The builder offers a 3.5% financing program, and a $10K credit for closing fees (which appear to be very high, as I was told the bulk of them are for mortgage fees), and there are below market-rate units as well as a downpayment assistance program from the City of Emeryville for lower-income individuals. Naturally, I decided to pass, as I feel Adeline Place offers very little value for the dollar.

Let's review: The…read moregood reviews are from before Premium Properties took over. There's a reason for that. Here's what the property manager told me on tour vs reality: "We're getting a bike room fall of 2024." No bike room. "Landlord pays water and garbage, tenants pay PG&E." Nope, tenants pay ALL utilities. "I don't think there's an extra fee for dogs." It's an extra $150 per month. "We're going to replace these crappy windows with weird opaque speckles." Nope. "We are a secure building with 16 security cameras." Doesn't matter if people are getting in and stealing shit anyway. Here's what Premium Properties told me before/at move-in, vs what I found out later on: Lease: "Tenant acknowledges building is master-metered for water, sewer, gas, and Electric." Natalie at Premium: "Yes, all utilities are flat rate." Selena at Premium: "Yes, all your utilities are flat rate." Later, Selena: "Your utilities are all set up and will be billed through the client portal! NO NEED TO CALL PG&E!" Reality: PG&E turned my power off 8 months in because no one had set up an account for me. They told me if I wanted power I'd have to set up my own account and pay a back balance, then sent me a bill for $470. Premium gave me the excuse the lease had a typo and some mistakes were made and oh well not their problem. (Odd. Turns out this happened to multiple other neighbors, and they were given a different excuse.) One day I caught a shady guy wandering the complex looking into people's windows. He wouldn't leave. I went to the manager. Manager said, "oh yeah I told him to leave." Oh really, well he's still here, so maybe do something about that?? I told them I'm moving out and I am getting like 2 notices a week that they plan to enter my unit to show and then nothing happens. They harass you 120 before your lease expires to tell them you'll renew or move. The emails are ended with the sentence: "Thank you for your anticipated cooperation." LOL.

I've lived here for 3 years and so my review covers the period when the building was managed by Mr…read moreMing (up to 2022 - when you will see quotes from all the reviews), and the period since while it has been managed by a company called Premium Properties. During the Ming Dynasty, this was a pretty sweet place to live. He kept the place really nicely and was pretty helpful. When my e-bike got stolen from the inner courtyard after the thieves broke in the side entrance, he willingly showed me the video of the theft using one of the 16 security cameras that used to work while he was here. Then Premium took over. And the service since then has not been premium. - Packages are routinely stolen because whereas Mr Ming used to put them in the amazon lockers, now they lay about. - The amazing security cameras go on and off like it's some sort of modern art installation. They were off for about 6 months but seem recently to have come back on. Of course that might not matter because since Mr Ming we've had two building managers and the first one couldn't access any of the recordings. Not sure if the current one can. - Of course, Premium couldn't do anything about the paper thin walls, floors and ceilings. As long as you're ok listening to your neighbor's music and sex life it's not a problem. - They did rewire the whole place since apparently the previous wiring was a death trap, but using the cheapest contractors has its drawbacks when they turn out to have wired multiple apartments wrong, including my own. That only took a few weeks to sort out. Their conscientious attitude to key checks - three in the course of 2 weeks recently where they had to come in to each apartment to make sure their master keys still worked - made up for that though - and I guess that's how they discovered one of the tenants had died in his ground floor apartment and not been found for some weeks. - The courtyard floor was painted to waterproof it at the start of the year - right when the torrential rain started. The rain washed off a lot of the light grey paint they'd used (on the terracotta colored floor) and then the run off from the frankly situation-saving-plants and trees turned what was left a streaky brown. But some tenants think the Jackson Pollock effect adds to the building's charm. Premium promised to sort out the painting in the Spring. It's now September so one assumes there's a really great reason why it hasn't happened yet. - The plants and trees are the main reason why I keep living here. They really are lovely. - Bicycle theft and/or damage remains an issue so Premium started talking about introducing a bike room about 9 months ago. Newer tenants were told it would be open in June. Again, it's September. Tenants continue to lug bikes up and down the stairs because leaving them in the garage is asking for them to be stolen. - When things do go wrong, like a broken dishwasher or shower, Premium have this great system where you submit a ticket online which they will respond to in 5 working days. Not "within" 5 working days. They will wait it out. Mr Ming used to pop round with a screwdriver and have it done in 5 minutes. Now it's after 5 days that they contact a contractor. It then depends how soon the contractor can visit. And then we get to the laundry room. - When the building was rewired the ventilation system in there conked out and so for some months it also served as an onsite sauna. We took to permanently propping the door open to stop everything in there going moldy. This meant that when the tumble dryers broke down for the 7th time this year the sound (like a cement mixer mixing stolen catalytic converters) was able to echo around the whole building. The washing machines break down with such regularity that it would make sense to offer an employee of the contractor who manages them a discount on an apartment. There is currently one of three machines working for a building with 30+ apartments. The machines regularly take money without turning on and the refund link in the app doesn't work. And finally we get to the ants. - This is an old building so of course there are cracks. And ants get in during the summer because that is what ants do. Mr Ming kept a supply of ant baits and would hand you a couple at the first sign of them. Now, we submit a support ticket and wait, meanwhile exchanging grandmother's tales of how to stop the cunning little things in the building's whatsapp group - a place where new tenants are regularly updated on which parts of the lease agreement are known to be illegal by the tenants who have already been through two rounds of "but if everything's broken shouldn't we ask them to reduce the rent". I have now duck taped a significant part of the edge of my living room window since the cracks have now reached such an extent that ants can casually stroll through them on a whim to see what I might have to offer in the way of cat food.

I lived at 1200 Lakeshore from 2020 to 2023, and while the apartment itself is beautiful with…read morespacious units and great views, the overall experience was far from perfect. The neighbors were awful--racism was rampant. Once, in the laundry room, my partner was loading a dryer when a woman literally pushed her and said, "residents have priority," clearly assuming she was someone's maid. Another time in the laundry room a different woman asked her "what are your rates?" And when we said "we're your neighbors!" She didn't even apologize she just gave us that "oh you're being too sensitive" look. That kind of behavior was shocking and completely unacceptable. I also had a Mexican flag and a BLM flag on my balcony, and the property manager passive-aggressively asked me to take them down for "drone photos of the building." When I asked when this would take place so I could put the flags back up, he got nervous and mumbled something about needing the building to look "uniform." It was clear the flags weren't the kind of "uniform" he had in mind. While this isn't directly the building's fault, it absolutely must be mentioned: the area is not safe at all. In the three years I lived there, there were three murders within just a couple of blocks. No joke--check Oakland crime stats if you don't believe me. It's a very dangerous area, which only adds to the list of concerns. 1200 Lakeshore is a lovely building on the surface, but between the hostile neighbors, management's sketchy priorities, and the unsafe neighborhood, it's not the haven you'd hope for.

A Special Place to Live 1200 Lakeshore Ave., apartments…read moreoverlooking Lake Merritt is an outstanding apartment complex in Oakland. We have lived here for almost 4 years and have found the apartments to be spacious and immaculately clean and secure. There is a workout room fully equipped with the latest workout machines. There is a gorgeous patio complete with top-of-the-line furniture and a wonderfully landscaped garden. I cannot say enough about the staff. They are kind, generous and willing to help in anyway. They are simply the best .David Solis, manager, and staff go out of their way to accommodate our needs. Some of the tenants in this building have been here for many many years. Currently the tenants if if they so desire can participate in some fun activities. 1200 Lakeshore deserves the highest rating. Please come and check it out. You won't be sorry! Joyce Rubenstein Addendum: the east side of the building overlooks the Oakland Hills. In addition, all of the units have large patio areas Sent from my iPhone

My family of four lived at Park Central for about 9 years and really loved it. The location is…read moreamazing - it's wonderful being so close to Washington park, the beach, farmer's market, Webster Street, and the library. Maya Lin is across the street and my daughter was able to walk to school by herself as a kindergartener. And the proximity to San Francisco is great! Nice commute by bus or ferry. The apartment itself was just beautiful - I loved the thoughtful layout, light-filled rooms, and wooden floors. The storage is surprisingly good for the square footage, and we lucked out and had a dishwasher too. Our family made many happy memories here. We really enjoyed our neighbors. Folks are friendly and thoughtful, and there's a real sense of community. We exchanged phone numbers with many neighbors and helped each other out at various times with watching vacation mail and so on. We left our front door open our last night before we moved and some of our neighbors we've known for years dropped by to say goodbye. That said, if you want to just quietly do your thing, everyone will be respectful of that. I feel like the overall vibe is, "friendly introvert." Finally, the maintenance care was honestly amazing. The grounds are beautiful and always perfectly maintained, and Andrea quickly and helpfully dealt with any needs we had. There is a maintenance team that comes every Friday, so it's easy to get on the list to have anything looked at. We really appreciated the love and care given to keep everything so nice, and felt really grateful - especially since we lived in a well-priced, rent-controlled unit! Overall, if you're looking for a great location, safe, friendly, beautiful, and affordable (relative to the Bay Area) place to live in Alameda, and a small space works for you (~400-800 sq ft), I don't know that you could do any better!

We lived at Park Central Apartments for seven years. The apartments were built in the 1940s and do…read morehave their vintage quirks, but our one bedroom unit was well maintained and comfortable for two people. There are storage units, parking spaces, & garages for an additional fee (street parking can be difficult here). There are washers & dryers onsite, and the landscaping is always kept up. The area is very safe, quiet, and close to Webster Street and Washington Park. Indoor cats are allowed. The apartment manager Andrea was always professional, easy to get in contact with, and addressed any problems quickly. We feel lucky that we had such a positive experience with Andrea, as we realize that is not always the case with landlords & renting. We highly recommend Park Central Apartments to renters.

Dorrit is amazing! Convenient location, bus stop right out front and 4 blocks walk to bart, 5-15…read morewalk to nearby restaurants/arts spaces/libraries/campus . gated parking avail, cute outdoor garden , rent controlled unit.

I lived in California Apartments for 2.5 years. The studio apartment was spacious and got great…read morenatural light. The unit had beautiful wood floors and modern features (e.g. sinks, shower, kitchen counters). The common spaces (e.g., the laundy room and back garden) were clean and inviting. The location is proximate to bus lines, the BART, grocery stores, the public library, and green public spaces. Across the street is a phenomenal, well-stocked corner store called Popeye's. The building community is cordial, friendly, and diverse. Dorrit and management are not just responsive but very helpful. I'd highly recommend considering California Apartments!

VERY well maintained building and the front desk staff is WONDERFUL!…read more Never had a request for help or attention to a community item needing attention go unaddressed within the first 24 hours.

I love the Jack London Square area, and have been touring many of the properties in the area. The…read moreEllington is a beautiful building, well-designed with great amenities. But, I must admit that the HOAs do turn me off. If you are also in the market, do go check it out in person.

I truly enjoyed living in this complex. Before moving in, I did a lot of research in this area but…read moreBakery Loft (and b2) seem to have very reasonably priced units with great amenities. Shout out to my landlord, Kyerra, who always cared for the tenants. She was very easy to reach out to and was patient with me. I would love to live here longer but am moving out of state due to job relocation. I actually introduced my little sister and brother-in-law this apartment complex and they are currently living here. They also enjoy their place and told me great feedback about communication with the landlords. Since I had a great experience with this complex, I am looking into the same company's (Madison Park Financial) apartments in the area I am moving to. Thank you so much for the great experience while I was in the East Bay! Thank you Kyerra!

Lived here for five years and over the last year and a half things have really gone downhill -…read moreinsufficient maintenance staff, elevators breaking down when it rains, lack of constructive management, sudden changes in policy that aren't announced properly, etc. An example is that our dishwasher broke down in early December. We requested a replacement while it was being fixed given that we were hosting for the holidays. We were given an old, used, moldy unit that we had to clean ourselves. It is mid-February and we still don't have the original dishwasher back. The management company, Madison Park, is entirely to blame. They haven't hired sufficient leasing, management, or maintenance staff so everyone is overworked. They are increasing rent much more than they have previously and introducing new policies like "pet rent" (in addition to the fees listed on the leasing website), charging for parking for residents who originally had parking spots included in their rent, etc. The argument is that this brings Bakery Lofts in line with industry standard, but industry standard for $3k/month usually includes in unit laundry (some tenants have been very inconsiderate about their use of the laundry rooms, of course). The pet area advertised on the website has been in disrepair for at least two months - the ground cover is strewn all over the paths, and now much of it is flooded. Two residents have reported having to clean dead animals (a rat and a squirrel) from the area so the dogs don't catch something from the carcasses. I don't have a pet, but I love my neighbors' dogs and cats so this environment is really upsetting. Security issues are rife - just last week two residents found someone (not a resident) defecating in the supposedly secure garbage area. Package theft is a constant occurrence and some mail carriers refuse to use the package lockers that were installed last year. Several years ago the onsite manager organized frequent events for tenants - multiple movie nights in the summer, cookie exchange in December, and so on. These haven't happened in the last two years, but several new tenants were told that these events still happen as part of the sales pitch. I asked after these events several times and was told that I could organize them myself, unpaid, if I wanted. Oh yeah, and if you go to month-to-month after a lease they will bump your rent by 25%. Several tenants report that the management company claimed that they never renewed their lease and tried to bump them to month-to-month. Those tenants had renewed and had copies of their paperwork to show to management. No thanks, Bakery Lofts.

Lived here longer than I lived anywhere - the leasing office management and maintenance staff are…read morealways kind and helpful. Will miss the views!

It has bad reviews for a reason. It served my purpose of location location location…read more I lived here for over 2 years and it clearly went way down hill. Most of my friendly nice neighbors moved out and people who wanted to have yelling matches and throw things in the hall and at each other moved in. On my floor I think I saw 4 or 5 eviction notices in my time living there. I think the office staff was pretty good. And the cleaning people are very nice and very good. It's just hard to keep up with people who don't care. I've seen discarded chicken bones, pizza slices I mean you name it. Food waste just thrown in the hallways like it's the responsibility of the staff to clean up after you. Regularly the stairwell smelled of cigarette smoke. Someone was using it as a smoke break area almost daily. IMO super gross. Regularly my bathroom reeked of weed because I shared a wall with someone who apparently smoked a lot on the opposite side. On more than one occasion somehow a homeless person got into the building and onto our floor. Had his dog and shopping cart with him. The advertised rent is not the real rent they play a game to include any discounts so whatever you see on the website is likely 300-400 less than what you will actually be paying. I think at some point they disabled the fire alarms because weekly we would have 2/3 weekly, when we first moved in. And it wasn't hard to know which apartments smelled heavily of weed when walking by. The alarm/ siren in that place should be criminal. It's so loud it hurts. And it would go on for hours! Fire department would show up, there would be no fire. We would all go back inside.....then 30 minutes later it's going off again. Complete joke. If you really want to be at a Hanover Property, Hanover Northgate is significantly nicer. A lot of options in the area. Cheaper and more expensive.